Being able to enjoy tea and coffee on the go is unbeatable. But what to do when stubborn deposits and odors form in the thermos? With these four tips, you can clean your thermos without any problems.

As practical as the thermos is for on the go, cleaning it can be complicated. Because it is difficult to rinse the tight thermos with a sponge and cloth. Most thermos flasks are not allowed to be put in the dishwasher for cleaning anyway. Fortunately, depending on what kind of thermos you have at home, you can clean it quite easily with these tips:

Clean thermos with glass insert or coating

Thermos jugs with glass inserts or with a coating are very effective when it comes to insulating heat. However, you definitely need to be careful here when cleaning. The glass insert can quickly break or scratch and the coating is also delicate. If you clean the coating of the vacuum jug incorrectly, it is soon over with the insulation. These home remedies are gentle on the glass insert and coating when cleaning:

  • Lemon: Lemon juice is considered a miracle cure for calcification and odors. To clean, simply squeeze a lemon into the jug, pour on hot water and let it steep for about 15 minutes. The acid of the food removes stains and other dirt. In addition, a pleasant smell is spread.
  • Potatoes: The starch in the potato can do wonders. Cut the potato into small pieces and add hot water. Leave the thermos overnight with the lid closed.
  • Denture cleaner: Denture cleaner will not only clean your false teeth, but also keep your jugs clean. Pour some denture cleaner into the thermos with the glass insert or coating. Leave the home remedy on for about an hour with the lid closed.

No matter what home remedy you use to clean the thermos, at the end you should always rinse the jug thoroughly with warm water and a dash of dishwashing liquid and let it dry. Afterwards, the coating or glass insert will be sparkling clean again.

Cleaning the stainless-steel thermos

The stainless-steel drinking bottle is relatively easy to clean. The jug can be easily cleaned with the home remedies lemon and potato or the denture cleaner. In addition, the home remedies baking soda, baking powder, salt or vinegar are still suitable for stainless steel jugs. All home remedies are mixed with hot water in the vacuum jug. Close the jug again with the lid and shake the solution several times before letting the mixture steep overnight. As a dosage, one packet per thermos is enough for baking soda or baking powder, two teaspoons for salt and one tablespoon for vinegar.

The home remedies baking soda, baking powder, salt or vinegar should not be used for cleaning jugs with glass inserts or coatings.

The right brush to clean the thermos jug

A helpful tool when cleaning thermos jugs is the bottle brush. However, here you also need to distinguish between the stainless-steel jug and the jug with glass insert or coating. For stainless steel, the conventional bottle brush works well. For glass insert or coating, you better resort to a brush with foam cover when cleaning.

Neutralize odors in the jug

Thermos connoisseurs know: once coffee has been poured into the pot, the odor persists and the tea suddenly tastes funny. If you want to remove the odors, the home remedy vinegar is also suitable, in addition to lemon juice or denture cleaner. Mix hot water with vinegar and leave the pot overnight with the lid open. After cleaning, you should rinse the thermos several times with water and let it dry.